Causes & Treatment for Excess Bile in Stomach

Excess bile in the stomach may eventually develop into a condition known as bile gastritis. Bile is secreted by the liver during the digestion of fats; it is greenish-yellow in color. The excess bile which is not used in digestion remains in the gallbladder. Bile helps to break down the fats in the food we eat and helps in the absorption of the fats in the small intestine. The gall bladder stores the bile and concentrates it to increase its effectiveness. However, in case the gall bladder is removed from the body, the secreted bile does not find its storage place and reaches to the stomach. This, in turn, irritates the mucous lining of the stomach due to its acidic nature. This condition is known as bile gastritis.

A need to remove the gall bladder through surgery may arise due to different underlying conditions. Some of the conditions include infection or inflammation of the gall bladder known as cholecystitis, abnormal growth of tissues in the gall bladder, presence of gallstones, calcification of the gall bladder wall, etc. The condition in which the bile flows upward to the stomach is known as bile reflux. Bile reflux either occurs due to the malfunctioning of the pyloric valve, separating the stomach and duodenum, or the esophageal sphincter, separating the stomach and esophagus. Bile reflux is commonly found to occur as a result of removal of the gall bladder.

Bile reflux is one of the causes of bile gastritis. The different symptoms of the condition are as follows:

Stomach pain
Bloating
Gas
Nausea
Weight loss

Upon analyzing your specific conditions, the specialist may recommend to you appropriate treatment procedures for the excess bile in stomach. The different procedures include medications, surgery, and dietary changes. Your doctor may recommend treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid medication. The medication comes in the commercial name USRO. It is a tablet which is taken with food. It may relieve the associated symptoms of excess bile in the stomach.

Based on the severity of symptoms, your doctor may also opt for surgical treatment procedures. Two types of surgery are generally undertaken, namely, diversion surgery and the anti-reflux surgery. Diversion surgery aims at diverting the passage of bile away from the stomach and draining it properly. The anti-reflux surgery aims to reduce the reflux. This is done by raising the pressure at the lower end of esophagus.

Some of the dietary considerations include reducing intake of foods containing fatty acids, eating smaller meals, eating green leafy vegetables, and avoiding processed foods.

References

answered by M W

Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder until needed. When one eats a fat-containing meal, bile helps to effectively digest and absorb the fat. In a person whose gall bladder is removed, the bile still flows into the intestine from the liver but fat digestion becomes less effective as the bile is not concentrated.

In a person with a well functioning gall bladder, the gall bladder concentrates bile by removing water through its walls. This concentrated bile helps in effective fat digestion and absorption through intestinal walls. When gall bladder is removed, the bile is less concentrated that’s all. You do not have to reduce the bile. After gall bladder removal, fat and fiber tolerance varies among individuals. Hence, you may get frequent gas problems.

Read more about: Gall Bladder Removal Symptoms

answered by P P

How do I reduce bile which is stored in my stomach as I do not have a gallbladder?